- Two-year extension for Zandvoort
- 2022 race reduced CO2 emissions by 80%
Formula One has announced that Zandvoort will continue to host the Dutch Grand Prix until 2025.
This represents a two-year extension for reigning world champion Max Verstappen's home race, which returned to the Formula One calendar in 2021 following a 35-year absence.
The Dutch Grand Prix has championed sustainability during its time on the calendar, with 99 per cent of gerenal admission ticket holders travelling to the circuit by public transport in 2022. Last year also saw the implementation of a smart power grid, using alternative fuels, and a reduction of overall CO2 emissions by 80 per cent.
The event has also boosted the local community and surrounding regions, with a 2021 study estimating that last year's race contributed to €65 million of additional spending in Zandvoort and the Amsterdam region.
“The Dutch Grand Prix has quickly established itself on the calendar as a fan favourite, bringing incredible energy and a great fan experience every year,” commented Stefano Domenicali, president and chief executive of Formula One.
“The sold-out events in the last two years have raised the bar in terms of organisation, entertainment, and sustainability, and we are delighted to extend our relationship with them. There is huge demand to host F1 races so it is testament to what the team have done to cement Zandvoort on the calendar until 2025, and we can’t wait to return next summer.”
Jan Lammers, sporting director of the Dutch Grand Prix, added: “We are looking forward to the upcoming Grands Prix. With great races in which Dutch fans can now enjoy no less than two Dutch drivers. Of course, we will again offer an extensive and surprising entertainment program.
“With this we are again offering the ultimate race festival. We want the world to experience again how we as the Netherlands organize an event. It is unique that we are on the calendar with world cities like Las Vegas, Monaco, and São Paulo. And as we say internally, we are ‘Ready for Tomorrow’.
“We need and want to put on the F1 event of the future, which is not necessarily bigger but better, more engaging, more innovative, more sustainable, and more inclusive.”
BlackBook says…
Considering the length of deals handed out to other circuits recently, such as ten-year deals for the Australian and Miami Grands Prix, this appears to be a slightly underwhelming announcement.
It reflects the changing landscape in Formula One, highlighting just how difficult it is becoming for European circuits to stake a claim on the increasingly global calendar. The one-year extension for the Belgian Grand Prix is yet another example of this.
However, the Belgian and Dutch Grands Prix represent two of the largest hubs of support for Max Verstappen – can Formula One afford to hold these races at arm's length? Or, does the governing body believe that, in the long run, condensing that fervent support into Red Bull's home race in Austria is the best method of achieving their goal of expanding into new markets?